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  Ultrasonic liquid delivery deviceUSPTO Application #: 20080006714Title: Ultrasonic liquid delivery device Abstract: An ultrasonic liquid delivery device has an elongate housing with an internal chamber, an inlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber of the housing, and an outlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber of the housing. An elongate ultrasonic waveguide is disposed at least in part within the internal chamber of the housing to ultrasonically energize liquid within the internal chamber prior to the liquid being exhausted from the housing through the outlet. The ultrasonic waveguide has an agitating member extending outward from the ultrasonic waveguide within the internal chamber of the housing intermediate the inlet and the outlet. The agitating member and the ultrasonic waveguide are constructed and arranged for dynamic motion of the agitating member relative to the ultrasonic waveguide upon ultrasonic vibration of the ultrasonic waveguide. An excitation device is operable to ultrasonically excite the ultrasonic waveguide and the agitating member. (end of abstract)
Agent: Christopher M. Goff (27839) Armstrong Teasdale LLP - St. Louis, MO, US Inventors: Patrick Sean McNichols, Thomas David Ehlert, Robert Allen Janssen USPTO Applicaton #: 20080006714 - Class: 239102200 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Fluid Sprinkling, Spraying, And Diffusing, With Means To Vibrate Or Jiggle Discharge, By Electric Transducer (e.g., Piezoelectric Crystal) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080006714. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This patent application is a continuation-in-part patent application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/337,634 filed on Jan. 23, 2006 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/530,311 filed on Sep. 8, 2006. Both of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. FIELD OF INVENTION [0002] This invention relates generally to liquid delivery devices for delivering an atomized spray of liquid, and more particularly to an ultrasonic liquid delivery device in which ultrasonic energy is applied to the liquid by the device prior to the liquid exiting the device. BACKGROUND [0003] Ultrasonic liquid delivery devices are used in various fields to energize liquid for the purpose of atomizing the liquid to provide a fine mist or spray of the liquid. For example, such devices are used as nebulizers and other drug delivery devices, molding equipment, humidifiers, fuel injection systems for engines, paint spray systems, ink delivery systems, mixing systems, homogenization systems, and the like. Such delivery devices typically comprise a housing that has a flow path through which the liquid flows in a pressurized state to at least one and sometimes a plurality of exhaust ports or orifices of the housing. The pressurized liquid is forced to exit the housing at the exhaust port(s). In some constructions, the device may include a valve member to control the flow of liquid from the device. [0004] In some conventional ultrasonic liquid delivery devices, an ultrasonic excitation member is typically incorporated in the device, and more particularly forms the portion of the housing that defines the exhaust port(s). The excitation member is vibrated ultrasonically as liquid exits the exhaust port(s) to energize impart ultrasonic energy to the exiting liquid. The ultrasonic energy tends to atomize the liquid so that a spray of liquid droplets is delivered from the exhaust port(s). As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,100 (Malinowski) discloses a fuel injection system in which a nozzle (e.g., part of the housing) of the fuel injector is itself constructed to vibrate ultrasonically so that ultrasonic energy is imparted to the fuel as the fuel flows out through an exit orifice of the injector. In such a configuration, there is a risk that vibrating the nozzle itself will result in cavitation erosion (e.g., due to cavitation of the fuel within the exit orifice) of the nozzle at the exit orifice. [0005] In other ultrasonic liquid delivery devices the ultrasonic excitation member may be disposed in the flow path through which liquid flows within the housing upstream of the exhaust port(s). Examples of such a device are disclosed in related U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,803,106 (Cohen et al.); 5,868,153 (Cohen et al.); 6,053,424 (Gipson et al.) and 6,380,264 (Jameson et al.), the disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein by reference. These references generally disclose a device for increasing the flow rate of a pressurized liquid through an orifice by applying ultrasonic energy to the pressurized liquid. In particular, pressurized liquid is delivered into the chamber of a housing having a die tip that includes an exit orifice (or exit orifices) through which the pressurized liquid exits the chamber. [0006] An ultrasonic horn extends longitudinally in part within the chamber and in part outward of the chamber and has a diameter that decreases toward a tip disposed adjacent the exit orifice to amplify the ultrasonic vibration of the horn at its tip. A transducer is attached to the outer end of the horn to vibrate the horn ultrasonically. One potential disadvantage of such a device is that exposure of the various components to a high-pressure environment imparts substantial stress on the components. In particular, because part of the ultrasonic horn is immersed in the chamber and another part is not, there is a substantial pressure differential imparted to the different segments of the horn, resulting in additional stress on the horn. Moreover, such apparatus cannot readily accommodate an operating valve member, which is common in some ultrasonic liquid delivery devices to control the delivery of liquid from the device. [0007] In still other liquid delivery devices, and in particular those that include an operating valve member to control liquid flow from the device, it is known to ultrasonically excite the valve member itself as liquid exits the device. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,700 (Jameson et al.), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a fuel injector in which a valve needle of the injector is formed at least in part of a magnetostrictive material responsive to magnetic fields changing at ultrasonic frequencies. When the valve needle is positioned to permit fuel to be exhausted from the valve body (i.e., the housing), a magnetic field changing at ultrasonic frequencies is applied to the magnetostrictive portion of the valve needle. Accordingly, the valve needle is ultrasonically excited to impart ultrasonic energy to the fuel as it exits the injector via the exit orifices. [0008] As mentioned above, ultrasonic liquid delivery devices are used in various fields to energize various liquids. Some of these liquids are multiphase or multi-component liquids (e.g., aqueous solutions) that can undesirably separate. In one example, fuel oils can separate prior to being delivered to a combustion chamber, which can significantly decrease the efficiency of the chamber. Thus, it would be advantageous to mix the fuel oil just prior to it being delivered to the combustion chamber. Other applications besides the delivery of fuel oils suffer from this same shortcoming. Moreover, some applications require the ultrasonic liquid delivery devices span a predetermine distance to position the exit orifice in the proper location. As a result, it would be desirable to have an ultrasonic waveguide that can accommodate relatively long spans. SUMMARY [0009] In one embodiment, an ultrasonic liquid delivery device generally comprises an elongate housing having an internal chamber, an inlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber of the housing whereby liquid enters the internal chamber, and an outlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber of the housing whereby liquid within the chamber exits the housing. An elongate ultrasonic waveguide is disposed at least in part within the internal chamber of the housing to ultrasonically energize liquid within the internal chamber prior to the liquid being exhausted from the housing through the outlet. The ultrasonic waveguide has an agitating member extending outward from the ultrasonic waveguide within the internal chamber of the housing intermediate the inlet and the outlet. The agitating member and the ultrasonic waveguide are constructed and arranged for dynamic motion of the agitating member relative to the ultrasonic waveguide upon ultrasonic vibration of the ultrasonic waveguide. An excitation is device operable to ultrasonically excite the ultrasonic waveguide and the agitating member. [0010] In another embodiment, an ultrasonic liquid delivery device generally comprises a housing having an inlet for receiving liquid into the housing, an outlet through which liquid exits the housing, and an internal flow path in fluid communication with the inlet and the outlet to direct the flow of liquid within the housing from the inlet to the outlet. An ultrasonic waveguide is separate from the housing, elongate, and disposed at least in part within the flow path to ultrasonically energize liquid within the flow path prior to the liquid exiting the housing through the outlet. An agitating member extends outward from the ultrasonic waveguide generally. An excitation device is operable to ultrasonically excite the ultrasonic waveguide and the agitating member. [0011] In yet another embodiment, an ultrasonic liquid delivery device generally comprises an elongate housing having an inlet for receiving liquid into the housing, an outlet through which liquid is exhausted from the housing, and a flow path within the housing in fluid communication with the inlet and the outlet for directing the liquid to flow within the housing from the inlet to the outlet. An elongate ultrasonic waveguide is disposed at least in part within the flow path to ultrasonically energize liquid within the flow path prior to the liquid exiting the housing through the outlet. The ultrasonic waveguide has at least two wavelength segments. A plurality of agitating member extends transversely outward from the ultrasonic waveguide. The agitating member and the ultrasonic waveguide are constructed and arranged for dynamic motion of the agitating member relative to the ultrasonic waveguide upon ultrasonic vibration of the ultrasonic waveguide. An excitation device is operable to ultrasonically excite the ultrasonic waveguide and the agitating member. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0012] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-section of one embodiment of an ultrasonic liquid delivery device of the present invention illustrated in the form of a fuel injector for delivering fuel to an internal combustion engine; [0013] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-section of the fuel injector of FIG. 1 taken at an angular position different from that at which the cross-section of FIG. 1 is taken; [0014] FIG. 3 is an expanded view of a first portion of the cross-section of FIG. 1; [0015] FIG. 4 is an expanded view of a second portion of the cross-section of the FIG. 1; [0016] FIG. 5 is an expanded view of a third portion of the cross-section of FIG. 2; [0017] FIG. 6 is an expanded view of a fourth portion of the cross-section of FIG. 1; [0018] FIG. 6a is an expanded view of a central portion of the cross-section of FIG. 1; [0019] FIG. 7 is an expanded view of a fifth portion of the cross-section of FIG. 1; Continue reading... Full patent description for Ultrasonic liquid delivery device Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Ultrasonic liquid delivery device patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Ultrasonic liquid delivery device or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Fuel injector with injection rate control Next Patent Application: Cleaning head and surface cleaning device comprising said type of cleaning head Industry Class: Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Ultrasonic liquid delivery device patent info. 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